100 labourers arrested after thousands riot
As many as 100 people have been detained after thousands of labourers went on a violent rampage in their camp last week over low wages - the second large-scale riot by UAE construction workers in under a month.
Police made the arrests after riots on Tuesday and again on Thursday at the camp in Jebel Ali, Dubai, during which company property was damaged, UAE daily Gulf News reported, citing police sources.
Police said the situation was now under control.
More than 3,000 mostly Indian labourers are still being detained for a riot at their accommodation in the UAE emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah on July 4 to protest against living conditions.
During the riot - which Indian officials have said was the work of a “small group” - a manager, security guards and workers were beaten up.
The violence is the latest unrest to hit construction sites in the UAE, where hundreds of thousands of mostly Asian low-paid labourers are employed.
The riots, which have multiplied since last year despite a ban on public protests, have been mainly over low or withheld pay and poor living conditions.
It is thought that blue-collar workers make up two thirds of the estimated 1.5 million UAE-resident Indians who form the largest expatriate community.
UAE nationals make up only about 15 percent or around 800,000 out of a population of 5.6 million, according to a recent unofficial study.
Source: http://www.arabianbusiness.com/525204-100-labours-arrested-after-thousan...
You are fortunate... Most "labourers" are on fixed 2/3 year conracts with one ticket home only...
I did not sign a contract to work for a fixed period. I have an open-ended employment and a multiple exit visa. I wish everyone else also had these.
Just call me Tigasin. That's what I'm talking about
Don't go to far, with your statement, allow me to reverse your thought.
Prior 9=11, During the massive construction and booming of housing in the different counties of Atlanta in the late 1995-2001, the labor was mostly from Central American and South American countries.
I know for fact, that when you were driving, early in the morning to work, you could witness in every major corner, lots of foreigners, waiting to get pick up by shuttle buses or hoping to get hired for any labor jobs in the construction industry.
The good side to it was that, was that those "hire hands were getting paid the minimum salary mandated by the feds.
Including at one time, we had to hired some hands, to move our company from the industrial lot to a larger building. The good thing about it, all the people we hired had a valid INS card, all of them wanted to get paid under the table to avoid the Taxes.
A lot of regular Americans, did not want to do any kind of dirty jobs, most of the low income jobs was done by the INS card holders.
Know the tide has change, with our current economic conditions. We have desperate people, willing to work those jobs again. Specially, when they did change the old laws of bankruptcy early this decade.
After 9-11, our customary ways of doing business and hiring people has become a pain in the neck.
"Don't make me write your name on my TURD List!"
The fact is that under the "ponsorshp" system, we ALL sign a contract to work for a fixed period at an agreed salary and benefits..
Most expats come on one/two year fixed contracts, then they want to stay for five/ten/fifteen years and complain about the environment/benefits etc etc.
I don't often agree with you but this time you are spot on. The sponsorship system is nothing more than a license for slavery. It is dying out in the financial and high tech areas where if you are employed in a QFC company you no longer need a sponsor. But these poor people are going to stay identured for many years to come. It is so wrong and as far as I am aware, totally against the preaching of Islam.
These people getting rich off human misery like this have a lot to answer for.
Just call me Tigasin. That's what I'm talking about
If the word of mouth was spread properly, then no one would move to the middle east.
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NIL ILLEGITIMI CARBORUNDUM
I agree with your sentiments..What happen in many cases is that they have paid mpney to "agents" to get the jobs, and many are in debt when they arrive.. So, they are unable to just resign an leave...
I do however believe that many Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshis etc don't paint a true picture of life in Dubai / Qatar / Saudi when they go on vacation, thus giving a false image...
Lastly, the Embassies of these countries must also take some blame . They should do more for their people..
MR PAUL.....the employers will not let them leave....
The employer is also in a fix because he spent say around Qr 10,000per head to manpower agency, visa expenses, ticket etc & after 2 months the labourer wants to return because the work & conditions is not as he had expected.
If I was the employer in such a situation I would try whatever in my capacity to make the labourers stay because a lot of my invetment is at stake say in a contract. And if the labourer(s) was to go I would try he he would get the least financial benefit from my side.
On the labourer's part he is frightned to be in a new country, he doesnt speak the language, doesnt know the rules. The new ones dont even know what the Embassies are for and if the Embassy could help them.
So who is to blame....the "sponsorship system" is to blame.
There are Locals who earn millions of Riyals every year sitting at home and signing fictitious-organization-letterheads illegally sponsoring people.
These are the poeple who will be hugly affected by the removal of the "sponsorship system". And these few, handfull of people are the ones responsible for THIS MESS of Human Labour.
MP you mean its a part of reality that workers are to be treated like this? once they come in is expected with them? I dont think so, these people wanted a better pay atleast a bit higher than in their country and thats why they here...and its not that easy as you think once they dont want they can just leave any time they wish!
.look at the passport,the ticket, the contract every one is tied!
.
"swim like a current,stand like a rock"
before in early "80's, the salary of a Filipino laborer was high enough to entice all Filipino to go in this part of the world. And the time comes when they opted to look for cheaper alternative to Filipino workers and that's the start of the exodus of other asian nationalities here in the middle east.
Now since many of the foreign construction companies aim is to lower their budget for labor, they tend to get the non-Filipino nationalities to fill their workforce.
So it is now a reality that these people are underpaid and treated inhumanely by their companies to the extent of non-payment of salaries. When you push people to the wall where there is no more room to bend, this will be the result............
"dgoodrebel will always be the rebellious good one"
If you were getting treated like crap, yer would leave. I know i would.
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NIL ILLEGITIMI CARBORUNDUM
MR PAUL Nope.....not at all.....oh I get it ...I should have put "anybody"..instead of you....lol
will set it right now;)
There are strikes here in Qatar also ...but doesnt get reported.
The guys who strike obviously no longer care whether their wages increase or they get deported.
The sponsor doesnt want to loose a man and wait for 3 to 6 mths for a replacement! So mostly they give false promises/hopes to these labourers. Its only when things get very very unbearable they strike work and become unruly.
Just because one wears Armani & sits in an AC room doesnt put one above all this. Anybody would do this if his employer does not pay him and ask him to "work else he wouldnt get food"
Cos if it is, i think yer got the wrong end of the stick.
My point is, its well documented that lower paid workers are getting screwed left,right and center, but yet,still they come !
If its that bad here, then why not move to a place where yer can be treated with a bit of decency ?
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NIL ILLEGITIMI CARBORUNDUM
experiencing a boom at the minute, why do they bother coming over here, to be treated like shyte when they may be able to find work back home......No one forces them to move here.
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NIL ILLEGITIMI CARBORUNDUM
Isn't this old news?
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Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
I see them in the buses on the way to work..
I just wave hello...And feel bad...
But I'm not the one doing that to them...
The employers should feel guilty
You can't teach experience
RP is there any diference bet. expat and foreign expat?
or is there so called local Expat?
"swim like a current,stand like a rock"
Sn yes for sure its happening all over the world, but that does not mean its all ok!
this kind must be stop we are heading for the future not going back to the past.
"swim like a current,stand like a rock"
I know for fact that many foreign ex-pats that work in Dubai, they secretly act like the days of the colonial times. They feel privilege to have so many lower class workers doing the dirty jobs for them. That is not counting the local wildlife and their habitual habits.
"Don't make me write your name on my TURD List!"
same in every country zambo I'm sure....
In these countries there are sort of imbalance, some are over paid so much that they dont even have work just come and sit in the office, while others are underpaid who works like a donkey.
"swim like a current,stand like a rock"
RP...eh??
You can't teach experience
I did not that nurses like to think all the time!
"Don't make me write your name on my TURD List!"
mmmm methinks that the government ain't going to put up with these riots yet again, there may be some harsh pay back like getting their bums kicked out the country and a nationality ban.....don't mess with the hosts I say!
what a courageous move!
well well time for the Gov. to review their policies not only UAE,all I though UAE is the best among GCC,also all other neighboring country who had similar situation including qatar. Yes its just confine to a certain company but i think there are more who are likely to do same but only reluctant..
"swim like a current,stand like a rock"
Vegas you are a modern day and OVERPAID slave, You work during the day and a slave of the bottle during the night!
LOL
One way or another we are slave of our OWN bad habits.
"Don't make me write your name on my TURD List!"
You can't teach experience